More information : [SU 41911141] SOUTHAMPTON CASTLE [AT] (site of) (1)
The establishment of a castle at Southampton, soon after the Conquest, probably marked the inception of the Mediaeval town. The earliest castle was a motte (some 200ft. in diameter) surrounded by a deep ditch and probably surmounted by a timber fort and with a defensive bailey, within a palisaded bank and ditch, on its northern side.
Major attention was paid to the castle throughout Henry IIIs reign, pariculary to the King's cellars, the adjacent quay, and the royal lodgings. However, little attention seems to have been given to the defences of the castle, which Henry appears to have regarded more as a residence and wine depot rather than a defesible work. In 1286 the castle was said to be ruinous, and despite almost continual work on the towns defences, and the french raid of 1338, little provision was made for the castle's defences. The castle was granted to, and held by successive Queens as a dower house, until Queen Philippa demised it to Thomas West in 1333, and then tho John de beauchamp in 1343. In 1359 Philippa surrendered the castle to Edward III, who promptly granted it to the custody of first, Richard of Pembridge, and then in 1372 to john of Foxley.
In 1376 the men of the town of Southampton petitioned the King to take the town and its defence into his own hands, which led to the rebuilding of the keep, the creation of a mantlet and barbican, the works being completed in 1380. In 1386, Thomas Tredyngdon was appointed as keeper because of his expertise in artillery, several artillery pieces being kept within the castle. By 1585, the castle was described as ruinous.
The whole palisaded defence was replaced by stone by the latter half of the 12th.c. but the keep probably remained a timber structure until the end of the 13th.c. A new keep, with four turrets, was built 1378-80. In 1618 the ruined castle was sold to private hands and in 1804 the ruins were incorporated in a Gothic 'castle'. This was removed in 1818 and the mound was lowered in 1822. The site is now occupied by a block of flats.
The remains of Southampton Castle comprise the north wall of the bailey, the west wall of the bailey which was later used as the Md. town wall, the 14th.c. castle watergate, the late 12th.c. castle vault and the footings of the 14th.c. Castle Gate. For details see Map Diagram.
A silver penny of OFFA, found at the keep in 1822, (a) was
probably in material used for the construction of the motte. (1-4)
Listed by Cathcart King. (5) |